Disk harrow hitch



March 24, 1953 w, P. OEHLER ETAL 2,632,291

DISK HARROW HITCH Filed Sept. 27, 1946 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 INVENTORS EHLERWILLIAM P. O

March 24, 1953 w. P. OEHLER ET AL DISK HARROW HITCH 2 SHEETSSHEET 2Filed Sept. 27, 1946 INVENTORS WILLIAM P. OEHL ER Patented Mar. 24, 1953DISK HARROW HITCH William P. Oehler and Charles H. Youngberg, Moline,111., assignors to Deere & Company, Moline, 111., a corporation ofIllinois Application September 27, 1946, Serial No. 699,916 13 Claims.(01. 55-81) The present invention relates generally to agriculturalimplements and more particularly to tractor propelled implements of thesoil working ype.

The object and general nature of the present invention is the provisionof a tractor propelled implement having new and improved means forcontrolling the tool or tools of the implement by power from thetractor. A further feature of this invention is the provision of new andimproved quick detachable hitch means which not only serves to easilyand quickly connect the implement with the tractor but also serves asmeans for su porting in the proper position the connection between theimplement tool or tools and the power lift unit.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will beapparent to those skilled in the art after a consideration of thefollowing detailed description, taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side view of a tractor propelled disk harrow outfit inwhich the principles of the present invention have been incorporated;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the disk harrow inthe process of being hitched to the drawbar of the tractor and thelatter as fixed to the axle housings so that the flexible anglingelement of the harrow angling means can be connected with the power liftarms of the tractor;

Figure 3 is a perspective similar to Figure 2, showing the hitch andassociated parts in the position they occupy after hitch to connectionhas been effected; r I

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken generally along the line 44 of Figure1;

Figure 5 is a side view, taken generally along the line 5-5 of Figure 3,showing the details of the power control roller bracket in sideelevation;

Figure 6 is a view taken generally along the line 6-6 of Figure 5; and

Figure 7 is a plan view of the power control roller bracket, takengenerally along the line I'I of Figure 5.

Referring now to the drawings, the reference numeral I indicates a farmtractor of the four wheel type, having front wheels (not shown) and rearwheels 2 journaled for rotation in a rear axle structure 4 whichincludes a pairflof drop hous- .2 ings 5. The tractor also includes apower plant and a power lift unit 8 ofthe hydraulic type, includingsuitable valve mechanism V and other necessary parts, such as a pair oflift arms I I and links I2 ordinarily connecting the arms I I to lugs I3formed on the side members I4 of a generally vertically swingabletractor drawbar or bail member I5. The latter is preferably in the formof a U-shaped member, considered as a whole, and includes a reartransverse section I6 which may be formed of round stock having aforwardly extending generally centrally mounted apertured attaching lugH. The sides I4 may be box members or the like and are pivoted at theirfront ends to the forward portion of the drop housings 5. Preferably,the rear transverse part I6 is welded or otherwise permanently securedto the side portions I 4 of the tractor drawbar or bail I5. The twopower lift arms I I are clamped or otherwise fixed in any suitablemanner to the ends of a power lift rockshaft 20 which forms a part ofthe hydraulic unit 8.

Normally, the links I2 are connected to the lugs It so that operatingthe power lift unit will cause the arms I I to raise or lower thetractor drawbar I5. If desired, however, the drawb-ar I5 may be lockedstationarily to the tractor, as by insert ng pins 2| through the drawbarsides I 4 and into openings in lugs 22 fixed to the drop housings 5 inany suitable manner. In this way, the tractor drawbar I5 becomes a rigidpart of the tractor and the power lift unit 8 may then be utilized forother service.

Accord ng to the principles of the present invention we provide a newand improved hitch for an implement such as a disk harrow in which thedisk harrow gangs are arranged to be angled and strai htened under thecontrol of the power lift unit 8 of the tractor. I

The disk harrow implementv is indicated in its entirety by the referencenumeral 30 and includes a left hand gang of disks, indicated at 3|, anda right hand gang of disks, indicated at 32, each including a pair ofinner and outer bearings, the inner bearings being connected to the rearend of a drawbar structure 35 which consists of an outer member 36, towhich the inner bearings are connected directly, and a forward or innermember 31 telescopically associated with the outer member '36, beinglimited in its outward movement relative thereto by suitable stop plates38 and 39 forming a part of the telescopically associated drawbarmembers. A slide 46 is mounted for fore and aft movement on the forwarddrawbar member 31 and comprises upper and lower plates 4| and 42 havingrearward apertured sections receiving pins 43 by which the forward endsof a pair of links 44 and 45 are connected thereto. The rear ends of thelinks 44 and 45 are connected to the outer bearings of the disk gangs 3|and 32, whereby when the slide 40 is shifted forwardly, as up against astop 41 on the drawbar, member ,31, the gangs 3!. and p32 are broughtinto ,an angled position, ,and when the slide 40 is permitted to dropback, as against the stop plates 38 or the forward end of the rearwarddrawbar member 36, the gangs 3| and 32 are in their straightened ortransport position.

In order to effect the above mentioned shifting of the gangs betweenangledandtransport position by the power of the tractor, we,provide ahitch member 58 which is adapted to be detachably mounted on thetractorgdrawbarglug ill. The member 50 includes a lower tubular section5i, a pair of side sections 52 and 53, and a pair of studs 56 and 51together with a roller 58 which is mounted for rotation in a' generallyvertical plane on a shaft or bolt 59. The tubularsection 5! is formed bythelower portions of the sides 52 and 53-, a central-spacing plate63anda chain supporting cross bar :64.' The sidesections 52 and 53 areapertured, as at 6!; to-receive a quick detachable pin 62 fen-lockingthe'member50 in position onthe lug 1-7. The forward end of-the diskharrow-drawbar member 31 i'sprovided with an aperturedend 65 which isadapted to be placed over the stud 51, and -the stud 56 is adapted to beinserted into-the aperture 61- in the lug l1, afterwhich-the quickdetachable pin 62 may be passed into the openings 6 1'; whereby thememberg5fi is thus locked-to the tractor drawbar, The stud 56 iscarried, on an upper-spacingplate 66 to which the sides'52 and 53 arewelded, and the stud 51 is carried by the-longer spacing plate 63, towhich the sides 52 and 5 3 arealso welded. The side members 52andg53;are\fiared-, as at 52a and 53a, in order tofacilitatelateral swinging ofthe harrow drawbar structure .about-thestud 51 as a center.

Either before or after the member-150 is mounted as justdescribed above,the tractor power lift links IZ are' disconnectedfromthe lugs l3 andconnected .to atransverse, bar. 10, preferably by the ,samepins thatusually eonnect the lower n so the links '2-.. o.t ..t :act r drawbar ars I4. The, traeton drawbar or bail member 15 is thenrloclsed a ainst.yert c loisn aeeme y t pins 2|. A chain H extends downwardly from the.cross. ba 19 andistrain d. ov r the- .ifor.wa ll r. 8. andextended,rearwardlyt roughcth tu ular se tion 5.i and atits eare d thecha Hisconne ted ,to-the. ow rn ate 42 fth oslid as. y. bein .pas e uthrqush anopen ng therein and locked in place, by, agvasherflt! and a b tt r Ior-the lik .S n e the. member 1 0 5 moun ed, d c ibed above, onthe lugll; pf; the tractor'drawbanthe member 50is thus locked to the tract or.It will be noted thatthe stud 5'! which receiyes the disk harrow drawbarmember3l, is disposed underneath thetra-nsverse rear section of thetractor drawbar J5 sothat solongas the member 5E) is held in position,the disk harrow drawbar member 31 cannot become disengaged from the lug51.

When it isvdesired to bring the gangs into theirv working or angledposition, the operator moves the power lift valve V so as to cause thearms H to swing upwardly. This lifts the bar 18 and pulls upwardly onthe front end of the chain H, the rearward section moving horizontallythrough the guide 5! and pulling forwardly on the slide 39. Thismovement is continued until the slide lil strikes the stop 41, or untilthe desired angle is reached, whereupon the outfit is then ready fortravel across the field in operating position. The disk harrow may bereturned to a non-working or straightened position any time it isdesired to do,so, .merely by operating. the power lift valve to,permit-thegarms Hate lower, whereupon the slide 50 will drop back into aposition at the rear of, the drawbar member 37, permitting the outerends of the disk gang to drop rearwardly.

"Undercertain conditions it may be desirable to or transport position,but, not while the outfit short-distance."*Thestop 4'! normally liesagainst the, front edge of the slide 40 when the latter has been drawnforwardly by the power lift to place the gangs, in operating position,but if it should be desired to straighten'the'gangs without having, theoutfit move forwardly; merely backing the tractor will do-so sincethemember 31 then telescopes rearwardly within the sides of the reardrawbar membertfiWithout-requiring any operation of the power lift."'Ofcourse, the power lift should be released, before driving forwardlyagain, or otherwise the forward movement of the tractor'wouldmerely drawthe disk gangs into an angled position' "a gain,,and if that is notdesired, it, is thus necessary to release the power lift before drivingforwardly This is a, useful featurev of'the present. invention in thatit permits the gangs to be'straightened without requiring any forwardtravel, and is useful-under such conditions where the tractor may bealmost mired and forward, travel under load not feasible.

Thefldiskoharrow vmayxreadily be connected to or disconnected from thetractor merely by taking off the one member '50 and disconnectin eitherthebar '70 from thelinksilZ- or the rear end of the, chain ,1 Ifromjvthe, slide "40, attention being specifically invited ,to, the.fact that. mounting thernember 5Q in'place automatically secures theattachment of o the drawbar. member. 36 to the tractor; drawbar, since,the. d Sk -harrow drawbar 31 cannot becumehdisfil fi edfromtheestud 57Selene. asthelmember 501s in position on the lugjl.

While we have shown and described above the preferred structure inwhich. theprinciples of the resent ,mventionhavebeen. incorporated, itis o, benunderstood, that our. invention .is. not to. be limited to theparticular detailsshown and described above; ,butthat infact, Widelydiiferent means may be employedxin. thegpractice of the broaderasnectsioiourzinvention.

What we, claimntheleforeihand desire-to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A-ihitch adapted-ta connect; an :implement having a part, oneportion-pf .Whichzis adapted 7 i beo hifted relatiye to: anotherportion, with atractor having apowen operatedtmeans and a drawbar of thetype including a transverse member and .a part extending forwardly fromsaid member and ,apertured at. its forward end, said member, andapertured at its. forward end, said hitch comprising an, implementdrawbar means adapted to be connected at its front end with the tractordrawbar and at its other end with said other portion of said implementpart, means movable relative to said implement drawbar means and adaptedto be connected with said one portion of said implement part, a flex-Vible element connected at its rear end with said movable means, a memberhaving a stud disposable in the aperture in said tractor drawbar part,means for holding said last mentioned member on said tractor drawbarpart, a reaction member movably carried by said last mentioned memberand receiving said flexible element, and means for connecting theforward portion of said flexible element with said power operated means,whereby operation of the latter serves to act through said flexibleelement and the associated movable means to shift said one portion ofsaid implement part relative to the other portion.

2. A hitch adapted to connect an implement having a drawbar with anopening in the front end thereof and a part to be shifted to a tractordrawbar having a transverse member and a forwardly extending lug medthereto, said hitch comprising a part having a stud adapted to receivethe opening in said implement drawbar, a roller journaled on the forwardportion of said part, a connection adapted to be trained over saidroller and to extend rearwardly to said shiftable implement part, andmeans carried by said hitch part and engageable with said lug forholding said hitch part on the tractor drawbar.

3. A hitch adapted to connect an implement having a drawbar with anopening in the front end thereof and a part to be shifted to a tractordrawbar having a transverse member and a forwardly extending aperturedlug fixed thereto, said hitch comprising a part having a pair oflongitudinally spaced studs, one adapted to receive said implementdrawbar, and the other adapted to receive said drawbar lug, a rollerjournaled on the forward portion of said part, a connection adapted tobe trained over said roller and to extend rearwardly to said shiftableimplement part, and means for holding said hitch part on the tractordrawbar.

4. The invention set forth in claim 3, further characterized by saidhitch part having laterally spaced apart portions adapted to be disposedon opposite sides of said drawbar lug, and said holding means comprisingmeans acting against said laterally spaced apart portions andcooperating with said lug for holding said hitch part on said tractordrawbar.

5. The combination with a tractor having a generally verticallyswingable bail member provided with a generally central lug and means onthe tractor for swinging said bail member detachably connected with thelatter, of a flexible connection adapted to be connected with said meanswhen the latter is disconnected from the tractor bail member, a combinedimplement hitch member and support for said exi'ole connection,comprising means to receive said lug and means to receive and supportsaid flexible connection, and means engageable with said lug andconnectible with said combined hitch member for detachably mounting saidcombined hitch member and support on said lug.

6. A hitch device for connecting a disk harrow having a drawbar andslide thereon to a tractor having a power lift unit and a drawbardisposed generally below said unit, said hitch device comprising amember having a part adapted to detachably receive said harrow drawbar,means for detachably connecting said member to the tractor drawbar in aposition thereon such that said drawbar-receiving part lies adjacentsaid tractor drawbar, whereby as long as said member is connected tosaid tractor drawbar, the harrow drawbar is maintained in connectedrelation therewith, and a connection extending from said slide to saidpower lift unit.

7. A disk harrow adapted to be connected with a tractor and comprising apair of gangs movably connected for generally horizontal swingingmovement into and out of an angled working position, a drawbarconstruction comprising a longitudinally shiftable member adapted to beconnected to the tractor to receive, draft therefrom and a second memberconnected with the gangs and receiving said shiftable member, apartshiftable along said shiftable draw-bar member and connected with saidgangs for changing the angle thereof, power means carried by the tractorand acting against said shiftable part for moving said gangs into anangled working position, and means acting between said longitudinallyshiftable drawbar member and said shiftable part whereby rearwardmovement of the longitudinally shiftable drawbar member, as by backingthe tractor, forces said gangs into a straightened position.

8. A disk harrow adapted to be connected to a tractor having a generallyvertically swingable drawbar, power actuated means detachably connectedwith said drawbar, and means for locking the latter to the tractor forholding the drawbar against generally vertical swinging when the poweractuated means is disconnected from the drawbar, said disk harrowcomprising frame means, a disk gang one end portion of which ispivotally connected with said frame means, means for hitching the latterto said drawbar when it is fixed to the tractor, and means connectingthe other end portion of said gang to said power actuated means, whenthe latter is disconnected from the drawbar, for swinging said gang intodifferent positions by the operation of said power actuated means.

9. The invention set forth in claim 8, further characterized by saidroller being journaled in a position on the forward portion of said partso as to lie at least partially below and in front of said apertured lugwhen said hitch part is connected thereto.

10. A hitch adapted to connect an implement, having a draft bar with anopening in the front end thereof and a part to be shifted, to a tractorhaving a drawbar including a transverse member carrying an aperturedportion, said hitch comprising a member having a pair of longitu'dinallyspaced studs, one adapted to be disposed in the aperture in said tractordrawbar member and the other adapted to receive the front end of saidimplement draft bar, a roller journaled on the forward portion of saidmember, a flexible connection adapted to be trained over said roller andto extend rearwardly to said shiftable implement part, said tractorhaving means to receive the front portion of said flexible connection,and means for holding said hitch member on said tractor drawbar.

11. The invention set forth in claim 10, further characterized by saidholding means comprising a pair of spaced apart portions embracing theapertured portion of said tractor drawbar, and means carried by saidspaced apart portions for fixedly connecting said hitch member to saidtractor drawbar.

12. The invention set forth in claim 11, further characterized by saidlaterally spaced apart portions being apertured and said holding meansineluding a pinremovably disposable in saidppenin'gsandfngageablaWith-$118": apertured portion of said' tractor drawbajr for? holdingsaid. hitch member'thereto.

13-. The'invention setforth'in claim '11, furthercharacterized bysaid-roller being dispqsed forwardly of said lateraflyspacedapartdrawbarembracing--portions.

WILLIAM P.'-'OEI-IL:ERL CHARLES H. YOUNGBERGI 1 REFERENCES CITED 3Therfollowing references are of record inljth e. file" of this g-patentrNumber;..v

84;}? UNITED STATES PATENTS 7 Name, Date; Burrows. May. 26, .1931; ,Apr.12, 1938fv C0011, V Dec. 28,1943 Warne, June 1.3, 1944; White' Jan. 1,1946 Court July 19, 1949.

